Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - Jade Legacy

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Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

21 reviews

bookishwondergoth's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A highly satisfying and emotional end to what I think might be the most ambitious and unique fantasy trilogy I've ever read. Here is my spoiler-free review of the entire Green Bone Saga trilogy:

Well, 2022 was the year I finally read the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee, and—having now come out the other side of 'Jade Legacy' with my heart relatively in tact—I'm happy to report it was one of the most thrilling, satisfying, ambitious, epic and unique fantasy stories I've ever read in my entire life. It's not really a trilogy so much as one enormous book split into three parts, and I think that's worth bearing in mind if you find yourself slogging a bit through some of the info-dumps in 'Jade City'. A contemporary-feeling high urban fantasy that encompasses literally ✨decades✨ of time across multiple generations around an entire fictional globe, featuring a myriad of cultures, customs and creeds... Cor blimy, Fonda Lee doesn't like doing things by halves, does she?! From the gang-ridden streets of 'Jade City' all the way up to the geopolitical family melodrama of 'Jade Legacy', the Green Bone Saga had me by the throat even days after finishing. I fear it still does. Reader, I've left my heart in Janloon.

The Green Bone Saga tells the story of the Kaul family of the No Peak clan in the Asian-inspired city of Janloon on the isle of Kekon. The Kaul family and others like them are Green bones; people with the ability to carry and wield bioenergetic "jade"; a magical substance that enhances users abilities in the six disciplines of Strength, Steel, Perception, Lightness, Deflection and Channelling. Kaul Lanshinwan, the Pillar of No Peak, is trying to navigate the hostile advances of No Peak's greatest rival, the Mountain Clan, headed up by the ruthless Ayt Madashi. With tension brewing between the clans, and trouble stirring across the ocean between world superpowers, Ygutan and Espenia, Lan must also try and rein in his brother Hilo, the hot-headed Horn of No Peak, and keep him from lighting the spark that starts an all-out war.

It is impossible for me to name any one area where Green Bone shines, because truthfully, all of it does. Characters, plot, world-building and writing style,... all of it is hyper-focused, meticulously planned, and delivered to the reader in the most effective, and emotionally devastating way possible.

Let's start with the writing. Fonda Lee is not what I'd call a pretty writer, but there's an evocative bluntness to her prose that really works for the style of story she's trying to tell. Sentences are beautifully constructed, but with all the grit left in, such as this gem from 'Jade City''s opening paragraph: "Summer had barely begun and already the city of Janloon was like a spent lover—sticky and fragrant."

The plot primarily is driven by the characters and how they interact with one another. It is intriguing, thrilling, twisty and shocking, and moves along at a steadily building pace. Every now and then, even as early as 'Jade City', Fonda Lee will hit you with a massive unexpected and game-changing event that will change the course of everything you know, then start building up the pace all over again. As the end of all three books draws to a close, the downtime between each climactic event gets less and less and less, until you reach 'Jade Legacy' at which point everything starts moving at breakneck speed, and you can hardly catch your breath. SO good. I found 'Jade City' to be a bit on the slow side but I found myself losing sleep to finish 'Jade War' and 'Jade Legacy' was no different. Rest assured, these are books you will not want to put down.

Speaking of characters and how they drive the plot, I guarantee that by the end of this trilogy, you will have fallen in love with the entire Kaul family. Lan, Hilo, Shae, Anden, Wen and the Maik brothers all hold places within my heart, and I reckon I've shaved years off my life in becoming so ill-advisedly invested in their wellbeing. For much of the trilogy, the misunderstood Anden and fiercely resourceful Wen were my favourites, but it was Hilo who ultimately took the top spot around halfway through 'Jade War'. The man is a masterful creation; reckless, vindictive, fiercely loyal, vengeful and utterly brutal, Hilo is a veritable powder keg of unpredictability. Things are never dull when Hilo's around, and it was so much fun watching him grow and change over the years. I was always equal parts scared and excited about where the story was going, wondering what horrible, game-changing thing Hilo would do next.

As for the world-building, this is hands down the most ambitious, comprehensive and believable fantasy world I have ever read in my life. As someone who considers themselves reasonably well-versed in the fantasy genre, I do not say this lightly. Green Bone culture permeates every aspect of Kekonese lives including their socialisation with others (including people whose cultures are vastly different to theirs such as the westernised Espenians), their politians, their economy, their medicine, their military, their expats and accompanying disapora, their crime rates, their black market, racism, xenophobia, ordinary citizens... everything. Fonda Lee takes absolutely everything into account so you know exactly where jade comes from, what it means to the people of Kekon and the rest of the world, and how far people are willing to go to get it. Starting you off primarily on the isle of Kekon in 'Jade City', Fonda Lee throws the net wider in 'Jade War' by deepening the ties between Kekon and the rest of the world, then throws it even wider still in 'Jade Legacy' with the introduction of additional factions borne of a result of the events in books 1 and 2. The nuance and skill with which all of this is handled is absolutely stunning.

Overall, the Green Bone Saga was hands down the best thing I read in 2022 and has become a new favourite. It is slick, smart, thoroughly modern, and one of those torch bearing fantasies that pushes the genre in directions you didn't even know it could go. I thoroughly recommend this trilogy to absolutely all fantasy fans, and I am on my knees begging you all to add 'Jade City' to your TBR immediately. You won't regret it!

Content Warnings

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I did it! This chonk of a book, over 700 pages, is the final installment of the Green Bone Saga...and I have conquered it! It took me an extra four renewals at the library (thank goodness for staff privileges and no one else having it on hold - the guilt of someone else waiting would have really stressed me out). I buried myself deep into it over the recent Holiday long weekend and, once I gave myself that space and time to settle in, got through the final two thirds in just two days. And what a finale it was!

In Jade City, the story focused on the city of Janloon, in the country of Kekon, introducing us to the Kaul family, leaders of the No Peak clan and their rival Mountain clan. In Jade War, the story moves outward, as other countries get involved in the fight for dominance of jade, the substance that enhances a person's innate physical/intuitive abilities, and No Peak and Mountain start leveraging international influence against each other in sort of proxy wars. And here in Jade Legacy, the focus is split between the intra- and extra- national struggles for power. As the Kaul family grows, despite familial angst and drama, they stand together against all their enemies: the Mountain clan in particular, and in defense of Kekon against outside interests in general. While at the same time, the Mountain clan, whose ruthlessness and willingness to partner with any ally, has long been a step ahead in their years-long feud, seems on the verge of finally "winning" in the fight to control Kekon and the jade trade worldwide. However, the Kaul family has a few final moves to make, that could prove with finality that family is the strongest of all powers, and with a new generation of leaders on the horizon, maybe it actually is possible to move beyond grudges and vengeance in partnership for a better future.

Y'all, the scope of this novel is extraordinary. Never once, in the 700+ pages, did I think that it was too long or wish for it to end faster. It was a page-turning rollercoaster of emotions and nonstop action (violence and tension and kidnapping and politics and loss and grief and so much drama) from start to finish. There was all the violence and political maneuvering that we've gotten used to, but with messy and complex and deeply human relationships (Shae and Woon, Hilo and Wen, Niko and his whole family/legacy, Ayt Mada and Shea, Anden and his role within the family) smoothly interwoven into everything. I didn't have any inkling how much time we'd traverse throughout this novel, but watching the next generation come into their own was an unexpected bonus. We only get her as a primary focus towards the end, but I loved Jaya's fire, like a young Hilo. Across the board, the way the Hilo and Wen's kids "aged up" was fun to watch, and watching the young generation we met at the beginning becoming "old hats" was fulfilling in its own ways.

Worth mentioning: I cried for a single death in this entire series (and there were so many) but when it happened, I full-on sobbed, I was that invested. But other than that, I don't really want to say too much more about the plot itself, the relationships and growing up and deaths and subplots and plot twists, because the journey is one that I want everyone to take fresh and clear-eyed, like I did. Suffice it to say, that *a lot* happens and it's the edge-of-your-seat type stuff mixed with complicated machinations that Lee has shown herself to be a master of. Honestly, Lee’s ability to create such complex growth, with so many moving pieces and all the meandering and complex paths and decisions of the characters, and pull it all back together perfectly for this stunning finish (with nothing getting lost) is so impressive.

Side note: I have been waiting through this entire series to see where Bero’s story finally goes and it delivered, but in a really unexpected way. Like, he was part of a major moment, but not at all the way I (or he) expected, and it easily could have been a kind of letdown. Yet, his subplot gave fascinating insight into the way the rest of the “normal” people in Kekon dealt with the excessive "slow war" and clan based war stuff in a way that was a great narrative balance and perspective.

Thematically, I thought what Lee did as the story got darker, in addressing the harder truths of always dealing in death and violence, the mental health aspects, was an intense (but necessary) piece of this closing book. I also really appreciated that, as the war over jade became more widespread, the fight over control of the market and its approved uses/roles was fought both in military and political spaces, above and below ground, in a frighteningly familiar demonstration of the privatization and monopolization of war (through governments, mercenaries, criminal leaders and more), and the way that civilians are caught in the crossfire so often in modern warfare as a result. Plus, the way this modernization of war brings in so many platforms that were hitherto "out of bounds," like cinema, medicine, athletics, and in the court of public opinion into the game as actual difference makers was also really accurate to real life and added dimension to the breadth of the novel.

I was here for the culmination of feuds closed, but with the twist of future generations being better and moving forwards. The way Lee balanced holding on to traditions that are important and the backbone of culture in a way that is safer and more accepting and truly opens options for a new future, but within the cradle of respect and honor for the past, gives the reader a lot of hope for what's to come in our own future, tbh. And what a gorgeous bringing together of how the depth of ties and support of family are, in the end, what makes a person powerful, as opposed to the more measurable/objective power of money and influence (and can, in fact, lead to the latter, in a stronger way).

In the Acknowledgements at the end, Lee writes that this is the “epic urban fantasy gangster family saga of my heart” and OMG was it ever. It was the epic urban fantasy gangster family saga that my heart didn't even know it wanted/needed and I loved every minute of it. What a f*cking finale - breathtaking - this is how you bring a spectacular series to a spectacular conclusion and I could not recommend it more highly.

“No one is destined to become like their parents. In fact, we can learn from their mistakes and be less likely to repeat them. […] You’re your own person, Niko. You have many people who love you and are proud of you.”

“Why not escape reality, when it was so unbearably cruel to wives and sisters and mothers?”

“…he’d imagined that the foreigners were right - the world of Green Bones was brutal and outdated, nothing like the rest of the world. Now he knew better. There was jade and blood and cruelty everywhere.”

“Clans and jade, murder and vengeance, burdens and feuds and failures passed down from father to brother to son - none of it was a myth…”

Content Warnings

szuum's review

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

horizonous's review

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Just plain boring with a lot of time jumps of various lengths (if you're lucky it's only months but sometimes it's years) and moments of "in the time since this and that happened" without showing how it happened. I don't care who lives or dies or which Clan will win in the end (if any, because for at least 500 pages of this series I've been rooting for Bero), so.. yeah..

Content Warnings

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Each installment in the Green Bone saga is longer than the last, swelling out of necessity to contain the growing scope of these stories. One should rightfully expect something truly epic when seeing that Jade Legacy boasts a 713 page count. Fonda Lee expertly weaves a finale that leaves you feeling as though you’ve weathered decades with the Kauls and the No Peak clan, injecting nostalgia and hope into this grand sendoff to the trilogy.

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maira_h's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I feel like I have a lot to say about this book, about this series as a whole. In the end, I'm just speechless. I am profoundly impressed by this series. There's a difference between loving and being impressed by a piece of literature. Most of the time, it's always love for me. For this series, however, it's both.

I can't remember the last I cried so hard– with snot and tissues and everything– while reading a book. I can't remember the last time I stayed up late to finish reading. Not gonna lie, this book and its characters will stay with me for a long, long time.

The plot and its execution was close to perfection. Every action had its consequences. Everything was deliberate. Not to mention, the world building was honestly incredible. To be able to create a universe that is similar to our urban world with its different countries and politics is impressive, honestly. The author's intelligence in business and politics shone bright throughout the book, in my opinion. And I want to watch her action scenes on a television screen someday. I don't know if an adaptation can do this series justice, though.

One thing I would have wanted is probably a much longer epilogue of some sort. I wanted more time with the characters, especially Niko and Jaya. To be honest, since the first page, it already felt like the beginning of the end. So, me asking to add more to this 700++ pages book is honestly pushing it. 😂

I honestly would love to discuss this book with someone. To just talk about the characters and their individual developments, mostly. Because the characters made this series. If we didn't have them, if we had an unmemorable cast of characters with just the plot and the politics, it would be extremely dull.

Probably the best ending to a series I've read in a long, long time.

Content Warnings

doodeedoda's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

btrz7's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

elizamariereads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fonda Lee has written some of the most unlikeable and flawed characters in this series... yet I love them all and take everything that happens to the Kaul family personally. The world that Lee created is so well fleshed out and unique and unlike anything, I've ever read. This finale was heartbreaking, infuriating, and exactly what it needed to be. Perfection! Basically, I'm a super fan of the Green Bone saga and truly think it will be my favorite series for years to come.

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